Fantasy Wars: Beginnings
by thatguywholikesanime
Summary: Darkness is spreading across Gaia. Monsters are appearing with more and more frequency. It's up to 9 unsuspecting heroes to restore order and peace to their colliding worlds. Featuring: Cecil, Crono, Cloud, Terra and a host of other FF/RPG characters.
1. Prologue

Fantasy Wars (Any suggestions for an interesting title?)

Disclaimer: I do not own any of Square Enix's RPG characters.

A/N: This story was originally begun by me in early 2008. Believe it or not, the jumbling of FF and other RPG characters was always in the back of my mind, LONG before it was made into a game such as Disidia. That aside, I had mixed feelings about the aforementioned game, almost feeling like I deserved a cut of the profits...  
>On a side note, this story is to be read like a novel, not a regular, short fanfic piece. Keep that in mind before you think it's too boring...<p>

Prologue

He trudged on, beginning to doubt the soundness of his own mind. He had been so sure this was the place, or at least the surrounding area. He had been more than sure: he had been certain, for the object in his hands could not lie.

It was far below survivable temperatures; but he did not want to die here, not here in this accursed place, and certainly not now. The wind whipped and spun harder than a mighty dragon's tail, to the point where he thought the gale would strip his flesh straight off the bone. The icy cold penetrated even his heavy clothing; and still the lone traveler continued forth.

"Just a little bit further," he murmured, the air's disturbances drowning out his own voice. He couldn't even hear his frozen footfalls, and the only assurance he still possessed feet was the trembling that emanated through his legs from the crunching snow when he dared take another step towards almost certain doom. The only other sound besides the wind was the thunderous screeching of the long-dead trees being torn apart by the tempest.

"Come, now. Do not fail me," he uttered aloud, almost fanatically. This time he was speaking to the beloved treasure tightly clutched in his grasp, as though his life depended on it. To an inexperienced observer, it would have appeared as a torch flickering in the wind. But this…thing was more alive than a flame. It was a strange object that pulsated with its own incomprehensible power. Its color seemed of a paler red, spherical in shape. Its flashing was the only light in this dark and dreary wasteland, for not even the stars or moons could be seen through the overcast blizzard.

The pulsing of the rare item, like a heart working overtime, was steadily increasing, matching pace with his own exhausted organ. Light once welcomed in the darkness now became too bright to bear. Still, he kept moving as best he could.

He missed a step and stumbled, catching himself on a tree with a free hand; and with a groan he stood up on aching muscles to move forward once again. A few steps more were all he could take before collapsing to his knees, barely able to hold on to his priceless artifact. He knew he was nearing the end of his journey, that he needed just take the last few steps to find what he was looking for. However, his body was beginning to slow…and his mind to drift.

Suddenly, a flash brighter than the sun illumined just for an instant the entire surrounding desolation, momentarily blinding him. With a start, he realized it originated from the cut stone cradled in his nearly-frozen hands. He stared down at it, or at least where he pictured it ought to be, for it was pitch-black now, and his eyes could not find hands in front of his face. It was over; all was lost. With the disappearance of the power from his precious stone came the fall of his hopes and wishes.

His desperate mind spun out of control, panicking—the only part of his body able to labor, frantically searching for a reason to go on, or whether he should simply give up the ghost. His dilemma was answered for him: the lifeless object in his hands thrummed to life once more. Alas, it was working! A steady glow began to rise from the item. However, this time it merely brightened and did not flicker as it had before. Abruptly, the object ripped itself out of his hands, an unseen force pulling it out of his cold, unfeeling digits.

It floated freely and danced off as a marionette some distance away. Exerting all his efforts—his last ounces of stamina—he half-walked and half-tripped to where it had stopped. The fiery eye glittered more fiercely than ever, illuminating his path, beckoning him.

He became as heavy as stone once more, his average-sized body could go no further; he had reached his limit. The lone trekker tumbled to the ground a few inches out of reach of the glimmering ball of life. Almost as if on cue, the ground shifted underneath the driven snow in front of him. At first, he thought his mind was playing tricks on him.

Once the tremors, barely felt by his numbing body, had ceased, he saw a gaping whole several meters in diameter. What added more to his surprise, he thought he recognized the beautiful figure emerging from the opened crevice, clothed in white.

"Cid," she calmly and warmly spoke in a soft, soothing voice as she took hold of the floating stone. The overwhelming voice seemed to echo throughout his entire being. Before fading into nothing, he heard her speak once more. "Welcome home."


	2. Character BIOS

Fantasy Wars

By: Joshua Raposa

Disclaimer: Square Enix characters are not my creations. The rest are mine.

A/N: So here's the character line up. PM/Review and tell me what you think. These characters are only the MAIN, so many other of the series will show up every now and then.

Key: -Name: Description

Weapons

Abilities

Cloud Strife (VII): 5'7". Mercenary and ex-member of SOLDIER, an advanced military task force of ShinRa. Serious personality. Looking to find the truth about his past and settle a score with Sephiroth, also an ex-member of SOLDIER.

Large Swords

Limit Break, a special berserker ablility. Basic Spells (Materia)

Squall Leonhard (VIII): 5'8". Member of SeeD, a special combat unit of a military academy. Somewhat anti-social, a lone wolf, though deep down searches for a meaning in life.

Gunblades

Limit Break, Basic Spells ("Draws" out from opponents)

Crono (Chrono Trigger): 5'10" (No official height), left-handed. **Quiet **(speaks not at all) townsperson, learned combat from deceased father. Loves helping others and is an all-around good person.

Katanas

Lightning Magics (Absorption), Sword Techs, Healing Magics

Cecil Harvey (IV): 5'10". Dark Knight/Paladin, looking to restore balance to the force, etc. Wants to see what the future holds for him. Gracious and always willing to help others.

Dark Swords/Holy Swords

Dark Wave/White Magics

Yuna (X): 5'3", blue left eye, green right eye. Summoner. Famous due to her father's fame. Searching for a way to end suffering.

Magic Staffs

Summoning, Overdrive – special summoning, All White Magics.

Special Summon – Tide Flyer (see character info)

Terra Branford (VI): 5'3". ?/Human. Searching for her memories and a reason to live/love.

Swords, Knives

All Magics – weaker, Morph (Esper/Eidolon)

Zidan Tribal (IX): 5'8". A Genome, Humanoid with prehensile tail. Treasure-hunting prince. Married to Princess Garnet til Alexandros XVII, who sends him on a mission to find something…

All Weapon Types: Mainly daggers and swords.

Trance, Steal

Benjamin Falcnor: (6'1"?), an Ama (humanoid with fur, ears, and tail). "Lives and protects a small village in the woods, killing monsters who plague their world."

Bows and Magic Arrows (Think Link's bow on steroids)

Hunter/Tracker, Stealth/Invisibility

Tia Nicura: (5'5"?). A Black Mage with a mysterious past. She wanders Gaia, living in seclusion in order to avoid seeing someone's future…

Daggers, Small Swords, and Staffs

All Black Magic, Evasion, Foresight.

Tide Flyer (See Yuna): (7'-something?), mixed breed of Taur (Quadruped with two arms). An Adventurer from another time and place mysteriously teleported to Gaia.

Guns and Large Swords.

Strong against magic, High Physical Strength.

Cid Oleano (II-XII): 5'9". An intelligent and remarkable scientist whom everyone seems to know somehow…. Inventor of the airship and most technological breakthroughs.

Noncombatant.

Because Knowledge is Power!


	3. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Unexpected Encounters

**He** ran. He didn't know where he was going or what he planned to do once he arrived at his unknown destination. All he knew was he had two options: kill or be killed, and he chose neither. He wasn't afraid of death, nor of killing, but he once knew the ones now on the pursuit. Up until tonight, they had been friends and acquaintances. They had, in the past, been under his command; but now they were his mortal enemies. He didn't take it personally; they were acting on orders from one whose station was higher than his.

Regardless of what his beloved followers once were, he needed to exit the city somehow. He had wanted to serve his kingdom all his life, and so much more. His dreams were now dashed to pieces.

His thoughts were interrupted as he rounded a dark corner to find some large obstruction in his path. It was his worst fear realized.

"Good to see you again, Kain," he said to the armored warrior holding the long spear. "So, you've heard then?"

"Yeah," he quietly replied. "I knew you would come this way, friend." His words were spoken with no guile.

"You always could read my mind, Kain." It was true, ever since the days that he could remember, they had been the closest of friends.

"Well, Cecil," Kain continued on, "I had hoped to be the first one to find you." There was an awfully long pause, and Cecil braced himself for the worst. "I have sent my dragoons to the opposite side of the city," Kain said. Cecil relaxed a bit as Kain lowered his spear. "You should be able to continue onward with no hindrances from them, though I know not about the other troops."

"Gratefulness to thee, friend," Cecil replied, almost unnecessarily. "It has been an honor serving with you. However, I do not know who it is I have served these past few weeks."

"I doubted you could have ever committed treason to our country. And I, myself, have witnessed a dramatic change in the behavior of our lord. There is an air of…rashness that has before been absent."

"Indeed," Cecil responded. "Either way, when I leave now, I may never return, but I fear not for mine own safety and future."

"All is well. I shall take care of Rosa. Rest assured," Kain promised. "Now go, lest peradventure someone find us here." Cecil nodded to his best companion; and after clasping arms in the militant fashion, hastened off towards the eastern wall, not daring to look back.

Cecil knew it would have been easier to run without the sword at his belt or the shield on his back. His heavy armor wasn't making it easy, either; but he knew these items would profit him better in the wilderness, more without the gates, than within. There were more dangerous things than humans, perchance even crueler.

He stopped to rest his body and take a swig of water to replenish his stamina and strength. He had been on the run a while before encountering his beloved friend. He knew the city and had recently chosen his path outside, but after that, he still did not know where he was going. Standing there, his dark blue armor glistened in the light from the torch a few feet off. They were set about the keep at the lighter's pleasure; half-real, half-magical.

He continued his unwelcomed journey and began to finally formulate in his mind where he would go. He had two options: there were, at some distance, two smaller towns, Porre and Truce. He was already headed east, and knew that Truce Village was southeast of his current location; it seemed the obvious choice, as Porre was more western, and much farther south.

A sign of movement ahead closed his plotting. A light was moving towards him, most likely a torch carried by a soldier. He changed directions and went around the now-audible whispering. He encountered more moving torches and shadows and evaded them as well, realizing that as he was approaching the outer wall, activity of the night watch was increasing.

He could hear some shouting in the distance, no doubt the soldiers looking for him. He drew his sword, which was of darker crimsons rarely, if ever, seen in blades. It was a special blade designed to be wielded by the Dark Knight of the kingdom, which, admittedly, he was the one trained to be such. "It" was called Shadow.

His ranking had once been commander, second only to the chancellor; and so it was with all the Dark Knights of the past. Either way, Cecil no longer considered himself of that authority. The grand gates were in sight, but by now he understood he wouldn't simply be allowed to walk out; there would be blood spilt.

He peered around the building near the gates; there were less than he expected—under a dozen soldiers. They wouldn't be much of a problem, as great fighter as he was. However, the two archers could pose a problem, and there were doubtless more perched high atop the walls. He took a deep breath, grasping his sword – yet leaving his shield on his back for quicker movement – he charged.

The first two didn't even see it coming; they fell without even an utterance. An arrow grazed his armor as the more experienced archer fired. A third soldier barely had his sword out of the scabbard when a stroke to the arm disabled temporarily his fighting ability.

Cecil clave in half the next two blades raised against him. One of the now unarmed infantry escaped his counter; the other lost his head in the confusion. Cecil could feel the sword of his own hands yearning for the blood of his "enemies" that were once his allies and a slow, steady thrum of dark power coming forth. Such was its nature. It was time enough at last. Calling forth the powers within him and the sword, he shot outward an array of piercing, flaming daggers. The three still holding swords went down, dead before they even hit the ground. Blue, ghastly daggers evaporated into the night from their bodies, leaving no sign of injury on the dead.

An archer had also been caught in the sea of blades—the Darkness, as it was called, but the archer still standing had been behind two of the soldiers and was unhurt. He hesitated, and then loosed an arrow, catching Cecil in the left upper arm and sending a flash of pain throughout his tiring body. He regretted, just for an instant, not having his shield at the ready. He was upon the archer in an instant, stopping the assailant's heart before he could nock and release another barbed shaft.

Three more arrows and a shouted alarm were sent from above the walls. The cavalry would be sent out soon enough, perhaps even a few mages. Allowing his adrenaline to take him out of range of the archers and outside the city walls, he sprinted as best he could down the gravel. A well-place arrow ricocheted of the shield on his back as he retreated out of arrowshot. Cannon fire could already be heard from a good distance behind, putting to good use their gunpowder. Some trees exploded behind and around him.

Once inside the safety of the overhanging canopy of Guardia Forest, he rested to pull the arrow out of his arms, sending another jolt of pain within. He drank a small vial of potion to quicken his healing and poured a few drops over his wound to stop the bleeding. Cecil then cleaned his bloody blade on the grass as best he could. Feeling only slightly hindered by the injury, he continued pressing forward to the town he had determined to get to: Truce.

Cecil traversed the dark forest, the only light being the two satellites up above, Cereleh and Olea. The other celestial bodies' light could not penetrate the treetops. He moved in a southeasterly direction, in what he hoped was the way towards the village. As he traveled, he stayed a good distance from the road, and every now and then he could hear heavy footfalls of the giant, ostrich-like birds, chocobos, no doubt spurred on by their riders.

Providentially, he was familiar with these parts, but knew the forest contained more than just humans, especially at night. Imps, goblins, sandmen, giant hetakes, all of these and more crept through the forest. Cecil stumbled on an uprooted tree and slowed his pace so as not to end up cutting himself on Shadow. He was glad he kept his sword out, for after a few moments of catching his steadiness and resting, he felt a bloodthirsty presence very near.

He spun just in time to parry a hooked dagger, one of the favorite weapons of the short, greenish goblins. He jumped back a good distance to judge his opponent and search for reinforcements of the same. One came from his right, two more from the front. He was lucky there weren't more.

They were rather grotesque creatures with hearts full of malice. Distorted faces were skewed by large pointed caps. Crooked noses and misshapen ears and faces were pierced variously with metal rings. And though they stood barely to his waist, he knew that they were voraciously violent beasts. He could barely hear their frenzied laughter and see their frantic movements in the dark.

This was also the first time he would face these resilient creatures on his own. The first one that attacked – who wore the reddish cap signifying his leadership of the little band – came at him once more. Cecil parried the goblin's sword—dagger sized for a normal man, and blocked a second, quicker slash with his ready shield. He hewed down the goblin with a swift slash of his own.

The others charged at once, sped on by the death of the leader. Cecil was already exhausted from the long night of his escape from the castle, and even Shadow's power had sapped some of his spirit as well and he was without Ethers to help him recover. He could only block one of the two in front, while striking death into the one goblin on his right. Sharp pain pierced his left leg as the goblin in front hacked ferociously at it. Cecil back stepped out of reach of the two still standing, while by and by they came at him again.

He dispatched the remaining two soon enough and stopped to rest against a nearby tree. He drank one of his last remaining potions to help heal his leg and other wounds from the skirmish. After he went a good distance from the battlefield, he pulled a piece of magical cloth from his side pouch, and dropped it on the ground.

Upon touching the earth, it shone brightly for a second, and began to expand outward. What was once a bare fabric became an average-sized tent. It was more magical than real, and he assumed he would be relatively safe until daybreak.

* * *

><p>Morning came too quickly for Cecil. He felt almost more tired than when he slept, though he knew his body was much better for it. The magical tent slowly dissipated in the sunrise, and Cecil prepared to move on.<p>

"Mayhap a hard day of traveling through the brush this day," he uttered aloud. Cecil stopped to feel the morning's cool breeze billow over him, enjoying it for a moment before replacing the rest of his armor and helmet.

Trudging and hacking his own path through the forest, he had much time to think about his future. Cecil paused to rest now and then and to drink from various streams throughout the day. He also tried to forage for whatever tree nuts and fruits along the way. As morning passed into afternoon, he became more and more fatigued by the rough journey.

Lost in thought of what could be in store for him in Truce Village, Cecil suddenly realized he had wandered into a hetake gathering. He had never seen the giant mushroom-shaped monsters before, but had heard of them described by his fellow soldiers, mainly the scouts. He recognized them only from the large domes visible above the ground, which he had originally mistaken for misshapen rock.

To Cecil's disappointment, they began to stir, unburying themselves form the earth. There were at least a dozen of them just in the immediate vicinity, and he feared there could be hundreds more in this dark, damp forest.

Unfortunately, hetakes are over thrice as big as goblins, easily weighing the same amount as a full-grown man. A large, maroon dome, speckled with grey, made up the majority of the oversized fungus' body, and underneath the hump was a grey exoskeleton. It crawled on all four of its bony legs. Comically, Cecil could now see that the exposed ones left their tongues hanging out, much like a dog.

Their expressions revealed their intelligence, nowhere near a human's, or even a goblin's, fortunately for him. They used no weapons, merely throwing their grey masses at intruders or striking out with their skeletal legs – more powerful than one might think. Cecil knew his shield would avail him nothing against them, but quickly drew Shadow.

Four were completely unearthed in a few, short seconds, and without another moment, three lunged towards the trespasser. He arced his sword through one and half-way through the second before the third hetake's body collided into him, sending them both tumbling through the wood.

As Cecil came to a stop on his back, he rolled once more to avoid a no-doubt crippling body slam from yet another toadstool. He felt the tremors as the hetake landed where he has just been, throwing up dirt and debris. He destroyed both hetakes near him before he stood up. He sidestepped another flying mushroom and stabbed an additional one coming from behind. A new hetake swiped its large foreleg at him, lost it in the process, and purplish blood flowed therefrom.

He could finally feel it…the Sword coming to life in his hands, charging its dark energy while sucking into itself the life force of its foes. His spirits rose higher and higher as Shadow sucked out some of his own power. Time enough at last to launch a volley of those fiery, ghostly daggers. He dispatched another nearby hetake, gripped the hilt with both hands, and raised the blade parallel to the ground. Pointing it like a spear, he aimed towards the middle of a large cluster of the fungi and released Shadow's built-up magic.

"Darkness!" he shouted. Instantaneously, a majority of the crusty mushroom-like creatures burst into flames as the incendiary knives pierced through their brittle exoskeletons. Terrible, primeval screams filled the air as Cecil collapsed to one knee from exhaustion.

He had used too much of his stamina in too short a time with no real stop for replenishing his spirit energy. The quick, uneasy rest in the magical tent had been hardly enough to keep him going until now. As he stopped to catch his breath, he glimpsed around the surrounding forest.

Cecil discovered that he unfortunately hadn't killed them all. He could see tens more coming from the surrounding woods. He struggled to his feet and pulled off his masked helmet. Gasping for air, the cool, forest atmosphere helped to calm his trembling body. Fatigue threatened to overcome him.

Two undaunted hetakes jumped towards him from behind. He barely escaped them, managing to mortally wound only one. On reflex alone, he ducked and rolled as two more collided where he had been. He replaced his helmet to free up his hand, and regained his guarded stance.

Before Cecil could rise to his feet, a heavy entity crashed into his back, sending him face-first onto the forest floor. The unseen hetake rolled off of him, but as he was recovering from the shock of the blow, yet another landed on his back. The force of the impact knocked the wind out of him. As he struggled to regain his breath, the creature began pounding and beating his armor, rattling his already bruised body.

Cecil was building his strength to launch the creature off of him, when yet another giant fungus landed on his leg and still another began joining in the battering. He mustered up what strength he could and swung his sword blindly at the hetake on his leg. He managed to wound it, and it stopped assaulting him. As he attempted to thrust at one of the remaining on his back, a grunt of pain escaped his lips; a hetake landed on his sword arm. The terrible pain of his arm caused Cecil to suspect it was broken, a worst-case scenario in his present condition.

He now saw many more of the enormous toadstools before about the area, all coming to see the disturbance in the forest. In this moment of encroaching doom, Cecil began losing hope of survival. Suddenly, the two man-sized hetakes on top of him burst into flames, letting out unearthly shrieks. He began to be astonished, having no idea from where the fire had come. Still more surprising, a wave of something caught his eye's attention, and through the sweat, grime, and mask slits he caught a glimpse of some unseen force blowing through the group of hetakes in front of him.

Indigo-colored blood and other parts of the mushrooms spewed over the immediate forest floor as the unintelligent life forms we torn apart by the force. Cecil shoved the dying mushrooms off of himself, feeling the heat from the spontaneous fire, and looked around with awe to see what was taking place. "Fire!" he heard an unseen voice shout. As suddenly as before, an additional, larger group of hetakes burst into flames.

He turned about and saw a beautiful young woman with wavy, blonde hair tied in a single, long tress. She had deep purple eyes and wore a light red tunic adorned with darker flower patterns, a brown belt at her waist, and brown, high-heeled boots.

Cecil had only a short time to take this all in, as she was running towards him, yelling "Get down!" As she shouted she drew an ordinary blade, and he decided it would be best to obey the order. He quickly dropped to one knee, leaving his right arm dangling at his side. He felt the pain in it as it moved with him. She swung where his head had previously been, and a hetake screeched as it fell dead on top of him.

Cecil didn't hesitate to grab his own sword, Shadow, from the ground with his uninjured left hand as he heaved the corpse off of him. The young woman jumped back defensively, raising her blade. "We mean you no harm, Sir Knight," she announced softly, and more quietly, than he had anticipated. He couldn't help but lower his blade. "We are just trying to help." Cecil let the tip of Shadow sink into the dirt, soft now with fresh blood, and used the sword to steady his person.

"Many thanks, then," he replied. Something she said seemed to incite curiosity. '_We?_' She relaxed at his welcoming response, as if she might have been expecting something more challenging, another interesting reaction. 'I suppose they do not often see many knights wandering these parts,' he thought to himself. She cast a wary glance over his shoulder.

"Crono, it's okay. He's not an enemy. You can come out." Cecil followed her eyes behind him to see a young man, no more than 17 or 18, emerge from the bushes behind him. He had long, spikey, red hair and his clothing was a bit shabby and torn form extended use. He had on a large blue shirt, almost a tunic, and matching long pants. His worn boots were similar in style to the young lady's. A vacant sheath hung at his side, and in his hand was an oddly curved sword, dripping with dark-purple blood. A yellow bandana hung on his neck as well.

He took a few steps toward Cecil and gave him a shallow nod of his head, never taking his eyes off of him. Cecil responded by taking off his helmet with his unbroken arm and doing likewise. It was unwise to be rude to someone holding an already blood-stained sword. He received a look of slight surprise from both of them upon removing his helmet. It was true he was young for a warrior of his office, and most people expected him to be older.

"Greetings," Cecil said, "and thank you as well." Crono nodded in reply, this time allowing a large grin to spread across his youthful face. It was a different sight, seeing a young man covered in carnage, holding a trickling blade, and with a crooked grin. Of course…that was all he got in response. Crono still had yet to speak a word.

"He doesn't say much," the girl said. "I'm Terra, by the way. What is your name?"

"Cecil," he said, turning towards her. "As you may have already deduced, I am a knight. I hail from this kingdom's capitol, Baron, to the northeast. Or, I once did, at least." He hesitated, not wanting to explain any further.

"Oh." She pondered on his response for a bit before deciding he didn't possess the air of a criminal, and continued. "I see that you are injured," she said, pointing to the slight gash on his head and then to his arm. "Is it broken?"

"I think so," he said. "I am desolate of potions to quicken the healing and also lacking bandages to wrap it."

"I might be able to help," Terra said. "I have some skill in the healing arts, but…I don't think this is a safe place right now. More of the hetakes may come at any time. Would it be alright to treat you elsewhere?"

"Very well," Cecil replied. "I take it you both know these parts? Lead on, Miss," he said. He stopped to pull Shadow out of the ground with his left hand, clean it as best he could, and sheath it-somewhat awkwardly-in the scabbard at his left side. Terra gave him a curious look as he finished, and then she signaled him to follow. He also once again adorned his masked helmet. Crono stood there, smiling and motioning with his hand for Cecil to start following him. He had already put away his own weapon, and now carried a pack Cecil hadn't noticed before. Cecil fell in line behind them, right arm still dangling limply form his side.

"So what are you doing out here in Guardia forest by yourself?" Terra asked from the front. "It can be dangerous out here, even more so at night."

"I agree, Miss Terra." He paused to find the right words to answer without offending or arousing suspicions with his new found friend. How does one explain the exile of oneself and the reasons behind them without worrying new found friends?

Terra gave an almost inaudible chuckle from the front of the party, interrupting his thoughts.

"Is something the matter, Miss?" he asked politely.

"I'm just not used to people calling me that," she answered. "Just Terra is fine." She glanced at him, giving him a slightly curious look. Cecil wondered what she found so interesting. "And he's simply Crono," she explained. She pointed towards Crono, now walking in front of them. He turned at the mention of his name, and waved, still smiling.

"That's just as well, Terra. Upon returning to the previous matter, I left Baron in haste and neglected to bring necessary supplies," he told her as they walked.

"Where were you leaving to in such a hurry?" she asked quietly, genuinely curious.

"I didn't really know at the time, mayhap Truce? That's the closest village, is it not?"

Terra stopped. "Yeah, that's kind of where we're headed. Anyways this spot should be far enough away. May I…examine your arm?" she asked timidly. Cecil began the process of removing the plate mail from his upper body. Crono stood a ways off, surveying the open glade they had stopped at and searching for any sign of danger.

"Don't worry about the armor…I don't think I need to see it, just to sense it." She stepped toward him and delicately placed her hands on the surrounding armor. Her approach and behavior reminded him of someone else he knew…

"It's amazing that your armor barely has a scratch after those attacks," she said, speaking of the hetakes.

"Yea, it was made by the finest blacksmiths. They are also highly skilled in enchantments, adding magical properties and benefits to protect the material. It is a special armor made for dark…for the knights of my brigade." He did not wish to reveal his identity as Dark Knight of the land and previous commander of the Red Wings if it wasn't required of him. "It even repairs itself through the user's spirit energy."

"Oh," she merely said, concentrating on his arm. "I think it's only a small fracture on the upper arm. I believe I can heal it," she stated, more to herself than to him. "Cure," she muttered aloud as her hands began to glow with a pale, green aura.

Almost instantly, the pain began to subside, replaced with the familiar, warm sensation that usually accompanied the healing arts. Several minutes later, she was sitting down and resting on a nearby fallen tree. Cecil could see beads of sweat on her forehead.

Terra looked up at him. "I guess I used more magic than I was expecting," she said quietly. She looked through the eyelets of the demonic-looking mask. "Does it feel any better?" she inquired.

"It's as good as new, Cecil replied. "Many thanks. I owe you both my life." He used both hands to take off his helmet again, letting his lungs take in some fresh air. Terra could see that the gash on his head was inadvertently healed through her ministrations. She and Crono got a good look at his features in the bright afternoon sun now out from underneath the canopy. He appeared to be in his early twenties and had stark white, short-cropped hair; battle scars were present on his face. His hair, combined with his hardened features, made him look a little older at first glance.

Cecil turned toward her, "I've never seen anyone with a talent in both White and Black magic. Well done." The young woman blushed slightly at the comment from the handsome young warrior. "May I ask how it is you've been gifted with such skill?" he asked.

"I-I'm not sure, exactly," she replied, gazing down at the ground. Cecil caught a hint of exasperation in her speech. "I can just…use it…" This made it even more remarkable to Cecil, for almost all mages had to be taught through rigorous training how to harness the spiritual energy around them. To be able to simply use it at will…

There was a short silence, when Crono came up behind Terra and placed a hand on her shoulder, nodding toward the direction of Truce. She shook in response, understanding the gesture. "I think we should get going soon," Terra said aloud. "Would you like to accompany us on our way to Truce, Cecil?"

"Certainly," Cecil said. "I believe I've had just about enough of this forest. The sooner we depart from here, the better, I say."

Crono nodded an affirmative, and Terra spoke up. "Well, it's settled, then. We'll go together, but I need a little more rest." They all rested and shared some of the provisions in Crono's pack. Soon, they were heading towards the nearest village, Truce.


	4. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Truce

**The** rest of the day passed with little in the way of disturbances, merely a few minor skirmishes with imps and spikey ROUSs, or rodents of unusual size. Even some giant rolies and eaglets decided, unsuccessfully, to hinder their journey. However, there were many times when they forged a new path in order to avoid a probable encounter, whether it would have been with man or beast. Cecil began to notice that his new companions were not just avoiding creatures of the forest, but they were also avoiding the more populated roadways as he himself had been earlier in the day.

"More obstacles in this forest than I remember," Cecil observed as he took another gulp of water from the flagon Crono had offered him.

"I think so, too," Terra agreed. "I wish these random encounters would be just a little more predictable. They seem to be getting more frequent every day." Despite the fact that they had had few actual battles, she was becoming annoyed with the irregularity of the monsters' appearances. They had thus far defeated all the fiends quite easily, but she was more exhausted from the constant trail blazing. They had been doing it since she and Crono had left Truce, and she knew perfectly well why they had to.

"True enough," Cecil agreed. "May I inquire as to much farther it is to Truce? Surely not much more than a few kilometers." By now, they had continued walking through the dense forest again.

"Ten or twelve kilometers, maybe," Terra quickly replied. "And my name's not Shirley…" This last comment won a chuckle from Crono, who received a confused look from Terra.

Cecil allowed a smile to appear on his own masked face. "I apologize, Terra," he continued. "But I am wondering if Truce perhaps has an inn that I may stop at and rest on my journey."

"It has," Terra said. She glanced at Crono, walking in front of the trio, with a questioning look. He nodded an approval, spikey red hair bouncing up and down loosely over his face, prompting her to ask the question they were both thinking at that moment. "I think it's alright with Crono if you stay at his mom's house. She wouldn't mind having another guest, either, I'm sure." Crono grinned warmly at Cecil.

Cecil felt grateful for the strangers' kindness. "I do not mean to impose on anyone's home. The room at the inn should be sufficient for my needs, and I am not devoid of money. I even wish to do some replenishing of my supplies as well."

Terra slowed so Cecil could draw closer to her and Crono and to emphasize her words. "Just remember that the offer still stands. I'm sure his mother wouldn't mind, either." Before Cecil could decline again, there was a resounding chime in the distance, more or less from the direction they were heading. As it echoed through the forest, Terra identified the source. "Leene's Bell. It means we're getting close to Truce."

* * *

><p>"What do you mean, 'You failed'?!"<p>

"I-I'm sorry, Sire, but there was someone there who intervened and—"

"I don't care! I want her back, and I want her alive. In fact, Captain," the speaker emphasized the subordinate's title, "I will be sending Kefka along with this time to ensure that you do no fail me again."

This time it was the jester-like figure's turn to speak. "But Emperor Gestahl," he complained, "Certainly there are other things I could be doing that would use my time more productively, such as working in research to—"

"Stop bickering and go," the emperor rebuked the man dressed in vibrant colors and costly apparel. "And this time, take some reinforcements if you have to. Spare none that bar your way." He dismissed them with a gloved hand. He was older in age, and his long, stark-white hair was all proof of that. He wore his usual garb, red leather armor with gold trim and white gloves. A matching red cape with black spots hung on his armor's spiked shoulders. The empire's seal, a dragon, was emblazoned upon his breastplate.

Having dismissed his subordinates, and satisfied the situation was under control, he summoned the head of the research department. "Good to see you, Master Cid," he addressed the saluting middle-aged man. "Tell me about your latest discover."

* * *

><p>"It's just up ahead, now," Terra informed Cecil. "The sign's over there." She pointed to a decaying, wooden marker.<p>

"I can only make out a few symbols," he confessed.

"You'd be able to see the sign, if that bloody tree wasn't in the way!" she exclaimed. "Roger the Shrubber doesn't take very good care of the town's plants…. Anyways," she said as they drew near to the aforementioned sign. "It says," she read aloud, "'Welcome to Truce.'" Crono motioned for the other two to follow him.

It was early in the evening when they entered the little town, and the trio was walking through the hustle and bustle of people returning home from a hard day's labor and others finishing up. Illumination coming from the stars and moons above were reinforced with the half-real, half-magical torches that burned indefinitely.

Few people stopped to visit. Now that night was upon them, it meant an encounter with the creatures that prowled the darkness was more likely to happen. As of late, even in the village itself, attacks were not completely uncommon. The village guard was not always efficient enough to protect the town from everything in the surrounding forest.

Some townsfolk would nod in silent greeting or even say hello to Crono and Terra, recognizing their fellow citizens. Most, however, dared not look into Cecil's helmeted face, and others simply gave him a wide berth, partly because of the mean-looking sword at his side. They continued walking in silence through the crowds until Crono, in the lead, stopped in front of an average-sized, plain, two-story house.

Though they still remained relatively quiet in their approach, Cecil surmised that this was Crono's home. Terra turned to him and asked tentatively, "Maybe you'd like to come in and meet Crono's mother? It's alright if you don't want to stay, but at least come in for dinner," she added, eyes glancing towards the ground. Crono gave his genuine, broad smile and nodded.

"I suppose I shall," Cecil responded, knowing it would have been both futile and disrespectful to decline their hospitality. "I appreciate your kindness," he added. Crono opened the door, and warm air, suffused with a delicious aroma, emanated from the house. Cecil couldn't help but breathe in deeply the pleasant scents.

A middle-aged woman, wearing a pale-pink dress and a white apron, turned to see who had interrupted her cooking. She had long, black hair, and from her tanned skin it was obvious she had seen her days of working out in the sun. "Oh, welcome home, Crono!" she exclaimed with a delightful, motherly voice. "And you as well, Terra," she said as she walked towards the door, smiling. Crono took a couple of steps forward to embrace his mother, but she turned her attention to the armored knight behind him. Crono looked crestfallen.

"And you all have brought a guest! Well, there should be enough for everyone. Crono? Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?" There was a short pause, Crono, with a thoughtful hand on his chin, racking his brain for a solution to his predicament. Then, Terra finally spoke up.

"He's Cecil. We met him in Guardia Forest on the way home while gathering in the forest. Is it okay if he joins us this evening?"

"Yes, yes, of course." She turned back to the knight. "Now, there's no reason to be wearing that mask, Cecil, you can take it off in here. Shouldn't have a need for all that armor, either," she added. Cecil hesitantly complied with here subtle demands. "My, what a handsome young man you are!" she said, studying him. He was indeed an attractive man. A full head of pure-white, close-cropped hair adorned his head. His expressive face was battle-hardened, and thereon were visible signs of being in countless battles. The few, long-since healed scars showed, giving him a rugged look, despite him being clean-shaven. Lesser women may have swooned.

Yet, in his blue eyes there was a softer, compassionate gaze that few would ever notice due to his demonic mask and the dark aura given off by the rest of his ensemble. If one took the time to study him more, they would tell of an inner pain, a conflict even. He had been through much in the past few days. "I-I thank you for your praise," Cecil said with a slight bow. "Miss…?"

"Rhea will do fine. You look like you could use some leaf bunny stew and a good night's rest," she declared, beginning to busy herself in the kitchen.

"So, can he stay for the night, then, Rhea?" Terra asked in behalf of Crono.

"I don't see why not, as long as Crono doesn't start bringing all of his friends over," she added with a chuckle. "Crono," she turned to her son, "he can have your room for the night, then." He gave a slight sigh and a small shrug in defeat.

"Rhea, please, I do not wish to be a burden on any of you," Cecil argued.

"Nonsense! A friend of Crono's is always welcome here. Now come, sit down! Sit down! The stew won't eat itself," she commanded the former Lord Captain. Again, he obeyed her orders. After she served him, Terra and Crono sat to eat as well. "Well, Terra, I was worried about you, but now that a knight has been with you…" and so the night passed.

* * *

><p>"Crono...Crono," a soft voice spoke. "Good morning, Crono!" Now a gentle hand nudged him. "Crono!" he almost fell off the couch as his name was practically shouted.<p>

"How is it you can sleep so soundly?" Terra wondered aloud. Crono recovered and looked up at the beautiful, mysterious face…and smiled. After a few seconds of being studied by the silent young man, the girl felt the start of a blush. "What?!" she demanded unexpectedly. Crono fell completely off the couch this time.

Crono shook his head to clear it, rubbing the side of his body he fell on. As he stood up, he saw that Cecil was already up and fully armored, save his helmet underneath his arm. Cecil was seated at the table as Crono's mother was preparing breakfast, so Shadow was propped up against a nearby wall. Despite how much he already trusted and liked Cecil, Crono still did not feel comfortable with the Dark Knight's weapon. "Good morning, Crono," Cecil greeted him. "Were you able to have a good rest?" Crono nodded an affirmative, recollecting that Cecil was the reason his mother threw him on the couch for the night. He headed upstairs to get washed up and arm himself.

When he came back downstairs, the others were already breakfasting. "So…what are your plans now, Cecil?" Terra asked cautiously.

"I'm not entirely sure," he admitted. Crono joined them at the table. Breakfast was a mixture of oats boiled on the stove. "Methinks I shall gather supplies and continue on my journey elsewhere." He took another bite. "Mayhap sojourn here for another night and find some way to repay you all."

Crono shook his head as his mother exclaimed, "Nonsense! We won't accept anything for service to others. It wouldn't be right," Rhea explained.

Terra added, "And you helped us with all the forest creatures, as well."

"Very well," Cecil submitted. "But as I said before, I do intend to stay one more day and prepare for my departure. I'm sure the inn will be more than adequate." They all finished their breakfast and Cecil stood up to go, Crono and Terra following suit. "Rhea, I thank you for your hospitality, but I must be going." Rhea was already cleaning dishes in the adjoining kitchen.

"Oh, it was my pleasure, dear," she said as he walked towards the front door. "Stop by any time."

Cecil stopped at the doorway, removed his right gauntlet so as to be able to shake Crono and Terra's hand. "Once again, I appreciate all that you have done for me. I do hope that our paths may cross again." With that, he replaced his glove and placed his helmet on.

"May I ask you, Cecil," Rhea spoke up from behind the other two, "why is it that you left the Kingdom of Guardia? Certainly you were a knight of high rank." There was an awfully long pause before Cecil replied.

"Yes, I suppose I owe you all an explanation, at least." A quiet sigh could be heard from within the grotesque mask crested with horns. "I previously was the Lord Captain of the airships of Baron."

There was a shorter pause this time. "Previously?" Terra quietly wondered aloud.

"I was forced to abandon my post, to my dismay," Cecil replied, almost bitterly.

"Why was that?" a concerned Rhea asked before she could stop herself.

"If you wish to know…" Cecil hesitated for a moment. "It was because I was charged with high treason against the crown," he answered with more force that he intended to. Slowly, unperceptively, Crono's right hand drifted towards the katana at his left side.

"Oh…um…that's good to know," Rhea said somewhat nervously. A look of surprise adorned hers and Terra's faces; Crono's countenance was a stern, serious one.

There was another awkward silence when Terra stuttered, "Wh-why?"

Cecil rose to his own defense. "For disagreeing with an order to kill innocent mages and steal their beloved Crystal solely for my lord's own purposes." They all relaxed somewhat as the meaning of his statement sank in. Crono's hand released the tight grip on the hilt of the Lode sword.

Rhea quickly recovered her composure. "I think you are a good man for standing up for what you believe is right…"

"No! I'm not…" he glanced at the blade, Shadow, at his side. "My sword is stained with the blood of innocent people. I was a coward; I was too afraid to disobey an order that I knew ought not to be followed."

"Cecil," Terra spoke up softly. "I…I don't think you're all that bad of a person." She paused. "You may be one of the few people I have met, and we haven't known you for very long," she hesitated before continuing. "But I can tell that you are good."

Inside his helmet, Cecil smiled, a weak attempt at one, anyways. "I know someone that is just like that, Terra. Always peering deep inside people's hearts…trying to make them better." Terra looked towards the ground, slightly embarrassed at the unexpected compliment. "Still," he continued, "I have come to the conclusion that a Dark Knight is a Dark Knight until the day he dies."

With that, Cecil turned and walked onto the busy streets of Truce, wanting to take the terrible thoughts, feelings, and memories out of his mind. He oriented himself and walked towards the small Items Shop he remembered seeing upon entering the town the previous night. Once inside, there were already a few people browsing this early in the morning. Cecil grabbed the leather bag designed to make carrying objects more convenient. He would purchase it to take it on his journey as well, since in his haste from the castle he had not taken a proper pack.

Curious stares followed him throughout the small edifice, and even some gossiping whispers. Cecil knew that some would recognize him as a knight of the kingdom, but he had hoped that news of the Dark Knight's betrayal had not yet reached the town's eyes and ears. He counted on being gone long before the king's soldiers came looking for him. He had told his new found friends that he was going to stay another night at the inn before leaving, but he began to doubt if that was a good idea.

Turning his thoughts towards the here and now, Cecil found exactly what he was looking for. Passing shelves and tables full of all kinds of exotic mixtures, trinkets, and crafts, he went straight for the section of the store where curative potions, healing herbs, and other medicinal items lay neatly set out in rows for consumers. Cecil picked up a few bottles of the smaller of the red potions and some antidotal herbs and placed them in the bag. Deciding that was all he needed, he went to the counter so as to pay for the articles.

A teenage boy and girl, appearing to be siblings, were managing the store. As he came nearer, the boy looked up. "Welcome to our, uh, shop," he greeted Cecil nervously. "I'm Fritz. Did you find everything you needed, uh…Sir Knight?"

"I was wondering if this shop may carry maps of this region and the landmass as a whole," Cecil replied as nonchalantly as possible. Rumors of his arrival in Truce were sure to spread quickly enough as it was, and Cecil had no intent of letting his future pursuers know where he was going or what he was up to.

"I'm sorry, sir, but we're out of copies right now." Fritz thought for a moment. "I think we may have some done by evening today. Will that work for you?"

"Yea, I am sure that will do." He began placing his collected items on the counter. "What will be the total amount of γ (GP, or Gil, monetary units used in most Final Fantasies, thought gamma was an appropriate symbol) for all of this?"

"Well, let's see…four potions and two antidotes…that'll be γ140." Cecil began reaching into the pouch on his right side when he was startled by a quiet, familiar voice behind him.

"Don't worry, Fritz, we'll take care of it," it said. Cecil turned to see Terra and Crono standing behind him. Crono had a few γ25 coins and placed some on the counter before Cecil could stop him. "Keep the change," Terra said to the shopkeep.

"That will not be necessary, Terra," Cecil informed her sternly.

"Well, Cecil," she said, smiling meekly, "that's the kind of thing friends do for each other. Right, Crono?" He nodded with a smirk.

Cecil hesitated. "You would still call me a friend? Even after what I told you?"

Terra nodded. "Yeah, the way I see it, you did the right thing…"

"And yet…"

"Please, Cecil," she said, interjecting, "come with us."

"To where, may I ask?"

"Well…" she hesitated. "I don't really know…" An idea came to Crono. Stepping away from the counter, he waved to get their attention and pointed towards a section of town. Terra caught on instantly, smiling.

* * *

><p>"You're a little slow for a mercenary," he observed. He carefully, patiently waited for the longer-haired youth to catch up.<p>

"We've been traveling for a week now with no rest and little food," he argued with the older man. "Besides, I told you we could have taken the automovila and gotten there faster and easier." He was breathing heavily from exertion when he came alongside the man. He ignored the sweat on his face, seeing how his partner neither complained about the heat nor had any of his own perspiration.

"I already told you, Mr. Leonhart, that the targeted destination would detect us from a hundred kilometers away if were to use a machina," the man with sunglasses pointed out; irritation was present in his voice.

"Yeah, sure. Whatever you say, Auron," Squall conceded. He was wearing his usual black outfit, with his giant gunblade behind him, slung over his shoulder. He had a white undershirt, over which gleamed a silver crest hung on a chain around his neck. His black leather gloves occasionally squeaked from sweat, there being little protection from the sun in the dessert-like prairie they had been traveling through.

"Well?" the older man said to the younger. "Had enough rest?" It was a rhetorical question, he knew they were ready for a break, but he was ready to keep going also. He could see the moisture collecting on his companion's dark brown bangs and beginning to drip down. There was a particular spot on Squall's face where the drips liked to gather on its way down: running from above his left eyebrow and diagonally across his face, was a deep scar. Auron didn't know its origins, and frankly had no interest in learning it.

Squall looked up at the man with the heavy, long, red coat laced with gold patterns up and down it. Though he wore sunglasses, Squall could see his eyes because they were not snug against his face. He had a scar of his own over one of his eyes, which he usually kept closed. Auron had shorter, cropped hair, touches of gray amidst the stark black. A sword as large as he was—perhaps larger—was strapped to his back, and one arm was not in the sleeves, but had its elbow resting in the sleeve pocket. Squall assumed it was to make unstrapping the enormous blade easier should the need arise. "I'm always ready," Squall retorted.

Auron's right, gloved hand reached for his canteen for a drink. Squall suspected it held something besides water. After a swig, Auron turned and headed off towards the mountains in the South. "We'll be going over those," he stated simply. A sigh escaped Squall's lips, and Auron added, "Do not worry; we'll be resting at the foothills."

* * *

><p>"I must say, Terra, this day has been one of enjoyment, the likes of which I have not seen in quite some time," Cecil said as they sat at meat. They had spent most of the day at the Millennial Fair, a celebration for one thousand years since the founding of Truce. It was a local affair, so not many outsiders were there; though a good number of visitors came from surrounding farms and villages.<p>

Truce had remained a lowly town for most of its years, never growing terribly large, yet still trying to keep up with the modernizing times; hence the half-magical "torches" that lit the town and fair this evening. No one had come up with a name for them yet, though some called the power used to run them "electricity." The not-completely-understood lights were continually increasing in popularity.

"In the past weeks," Cecil continued, "I have been so occupied with the larger, weightier matters of the kingdom, that I had all but forgotten that Truce would be hosting this most excellent event." As was unaccustomed to him, he had, upon gathering supplies and returning to Crono's abode, removed his armor to move about more freely. Avoiding the attention of soldiers and militia had been difficult while wearing his suit of armor, but without it, they barely gave him a glance. They were yet at the fair, partaking of one of the vendors' goods.

"Yeah," Terra agreed. "You picked a good time to visit Truce." Crono nodded his head in agreement as he took another bite of the roast hog on his plate. He, too, had enjoyed spending time with Terra at the fair.

"Indeed, but our time is coming to a close. I will stay at the inn tonight and be off tomorrow morning." Cecil held up a hand to still their protests as Crono gave him a challenging look. "This time I will not be swayed. I will retire at the inn, but I do thank you both for the hospitality." Terra took one look at his stone-faced, battle-hardened countenance, and decided against further protest.

"If that's what you want," she said," tossing back her unrestrained hair with her hand. The rest of the meal passed in relative silence, much to Crono's dismay. Upon arriving at Crono's house, Cecil began replacing his armor. He graciously put off Rhea's protests as well and gathered his things together.

"Fine, then go," Terra told him surprisingly forcefully, and went upstairs. Cecil watched, feeling slightly guilty for rejecting their offer. He positioned his helmet and turned to thank Rhea once more. She still could not get over how dark and evil the mask looked.

Speaking to Crono, he said, "Take care of things here…friend. If you ever need assistance, I will be more than willing to be of service." Crono bowed slightly as Cecil placed his gauntleted hand on Crono's shoulder and gave it a clap. "Until we meet again, farewell." With that, he turned and left, waving to Rhea and Crono who stood in the doorway to see him off.

He headed to the tavern, which was several hundred meters from Crono's home, almost to the other side of the town. People still stared and parted from his path. Cecil wasn't quite used to being personally shunned by his own people, though the mask covering his features gave him some anonymity. Cecil had grown accustomed to leading soldiers and being cheered upon by large crowds. Now, alone, and being the Dark Knight he was, people shied away from him and apparently feared him.

Still, no soldiers or militiamen bothered him, though they didn't suppress their suspicious glances. _Has the King not ordered my head yet? Perhaps he is keeping the ordeal secret from the rest of the kingdom…_. Still, he avoided traveling the lighted main streets in the darkness. Cecil did not want to find out the hard way that the king had not given him up for dead, and decided to stick to his plans to move on the following morning.

The inn was filled with all kinds of people. Laborers were relaxing after a rough day's work, some motley fellows—the kind he expected trouble from—grouped together playing at dice, some minstrels looking for a few extra coins, even some soldiers on off-duty. The usual allotment of fumes from _nicotia_ smoke and alcoholic drinks permeated the air.

As he had hoped, a single soldier did not draw too much attention. He nonchalantly found a quiet corner amongst the tables and ordered a drink. It came shortly, and he took some time to think and observe his surroundings, wary of anyone who might recognize him, especially the soldiers.

As it were, the majority of patrons were either too preoccupied or too inebriated to bother with him. Another lad, sitting in a dark hollow and alone like he was, received his own regarding. He had on a deep purple uniform of sorts, and looked like an ex-soldier himself (pun intended). He had a chiseled, young, handsome face, and spiked blond hair. He had on some light armor as well, and to Cecil's surprise, set beside him was a huge, bulking sword that Cecil noted was almost as tall as he, from tip to pommel.

The stranger didn't seem to notice Cecil's own measuring glance, other than some casual glances of his own, so Cecil decided it was time to get some rest after planning where to go tomorrow. His destinations were vague at best, simply going south or southeast for a few days to get out of Lord Baron's territory until things calmed down, maybe even heading over to the Kingdom of Damacya as a refugee. The stress and excitement of the past few days were weighing heavily upon Cecil even more than his dark armor. So after receiving a reasonable price from the innkeeper, he went up to his room, and almost immediately fell asleep.

* * *

><p>"Hurry up, you idiots!" shouted the irritating voice. "You're all useless!" he practically screamed at the soldiers and Special Forces units following him. "I will not accept failure this time!" The figure berating the infantry was riding one of the cavalry's large, ostrich-like birds, yellow plumage covering its body. The bird was a chocobo, and a ferocious-looking beak and large talons made it a foe to be reckoned with. However, they were highly intelligent creatures, and even it was becoming tired of the impudence of its rider. Still, he kept on shouting insults.<p>

Kefka was more than irate himself; he didn't want to be out here, trekking through the wilderness. And since it was the first battalion's failure that this second attempt was being launched, he wasn't about to let them forget it. They had been traveling for a few days, and miraculously, the rider's outfit was brightly colored as ever, complete with a purple, feathered cap.

Kefka, as one of the Emperor's advisors, was assigned to this important task of recovering of the Research Facility's most prized experiment. Due to some unexpected events, the first reconnaissance group, many times smaller than this one, was almost entirely wiped out. ("Now though, chicken nugget, it's time to get in the oil" said the evil , by the way, though I must admit I started it.) Now, though, Kefka was sure the forces would be victorious. He had brought some of the military's new technologies, and he was sure no one would interfere.

"Sir Kefka!" called the captain of the forces as he pulled alongside the clown on his own mount. When Kefka acknowledged him with a glance, he we went on more quietly. "I do not think it would be best for my men's morale if you continue berating them like this."

"Listen to me, _Captain_," Kefka said emphatically. "I, nor the Emperor, will tolerate any more _mishaps, _and I will not be as lenient as he when it comes to punishment for incompetence!" He practically screamed the last few words. The captain, one of the few survivors of the first recovery mission, shamefully averted his eyes. "Now don't try to tell me what to do! _I'm_ in charge here!"

And thus continued the journey permeated by Kefka's irritating chastisements and complaining of the circumstances of traversing through the wilderness. By the time they reached the borders of the Kingdom of Guardia, the soldiers of this campaign had just about been driven mad by the irrational advisor to the emperor. Suffice to say they were eager to extract their target and return home as swiftly as possible.

The border patrol gave them no trouble and was surprised to see an emissary, but the captain thought it was odd that though they bore the empire's banner, they were questioned extensively and even were asked to show the Emperor's documents for permission to enter the domain. This, of course, frustrated Kefka to no end, which cause the captain to secretly snicker.

Still, the patrol's actions would have to be reported…

* * *

><p>"Rhea! They're back! They've come back!" the large man stood there, panting. He had come running full speed to Rhea and Crono's home. "My daughter…saw them…on her way…from Pierre. She tried…to call, but we weren't home at the time. They'll be here any minute! They might even be here already!"<p>

Rhea stood gaping at the excited man, her mind racing. She had suspected something like this was bound to happen sooner or later. Terra and Crono had just awoken as well, and had heard most of the breathless warning. Terra was the first to speak.

"How many are there?" Fright was evident in her voice; she was barely able to keep it from quivering. "More than last time?" At the last assault, there had been at least a couple dozen, but they had been driven back thanks to Crono and this man's family.

The man's response was devastating. "There has to be over two hundred, all armed to the teeth! Lucca also said…something about some kind of machine they are using, and more than one of them. Rhea, I don't know what to do! They probably have the town surrounded by now!"

Rhea was already devising a plan of action. "Crono," she said, facing her son. "Take Terra out the back way and go as deep into the forest as you can." Crono nodded with a determined look on his face. "I don't think we can beat…"

Terra interjected, "But what about you? Where will we go?" Terra, on the verge of tears, looked into everyone's face, knowing this was her fault.

"I'll be fine," she assured them. "I'll go with Taban here and hide with him and Lara until they've gone. But before that, you both will need plenty of supplies. There are some potions and herbs in the kitchen cabinet."

"Okay," Terra said as Crono grabbed his and Terra's backpacks. He ran to the kitchen and began stuffing them with potions, tonics, antidotes, ethers, and other necessary supplies. Terra stayed with Rhea. "Where can we go? How will we know if you're all right?"

"Oh, dear Terra, I don't know…I just don't know. You've only been here for a few weeks, but I'm glad to have met you, Terra." She herself was on the verge of tears, but wanted to look strong for Terra.

Terra rubbed her misty eyes and tentatively reached out her hand in the universal gesture of a handshake. Rhea humorously eyed it and instead embraced Terra in a bear hug. Terra sometimes forgot how strong Crono's mother was. "Friends don't shake hands, Terra," she corrected her. "Someday I hope you find what you've been looking for."

They separated and Terra looked into Rhea's eyes, which were misty now as well. "I appreciate all you've done for me. You know I don't remember what it's like to have a family, but I think I've had a glimpse of one since ending up here."

"Good, good," Rhea said, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. "Now go and get ready to leave. You're still in your night clothing, for goodness sake! Off you go!" she shooed her off.

Shortly, Terra, Crono, and Rhea were all ready to go. Though there hadn't been any sign of the impending invasion, they still finished as quickly as possible. "Crono, Terra, after we leave, I will head towards the inn and tell Cecil about what is going on. With your permission, Terra, I will even tell him about you. Is that alright, dear?" Terra nodded, anxious over the coming journey.

As they stood in front of the house, in the dark—having extinguished the electrical lights—they said their goodbyes and gave reassurances to one another.

"We'll tell Lucca that you'll be back soon," Rhea told her son as she gave him a hug after giving another to Terra. "Take care of each other, you two." And they took their leave.

Review if you like! I do need some help in the story length: are the chapters too long? Does it flow well? Might be boring for now because it's just character and plot building.


	5. Chapter 3

**A/N**: As most of you have probably noticed, these beginning chapters are a mix of the Final Fantasy/Chrono Trigger events, but somewhat twisted up. I tried not to draw too heavily on the stories, and in this chapter, the story begins to diverge and form its own path.

Almost all monsters are directly from the games, but that will also soon become original.

Finally the third chapter up! Is it too long? Read and review! (Not edited, so take it easy on me for minor grammar. I don't have a beta.)

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><p>Chapter 3: The Empire Strikes Back<p>

**Cecil** awoke to a soft knock at his door. He arose, and straightway went to see what could have brought a visitor at this late hour. As he opened it, he was surprised to see a young maid who worked at the inn and pub. As he gazed upon the girl, he once again was reminded of the fair maiden he had left behind in his kingdom. She, too, had come to him the very night before he was forced to abandon his lord.

The young, nervous girl apologized for waking him and stated that he had visitors waiting for him in the café below. He thanked and dismissed her and, puzzled and suspicious, he put on the whole armor onto his personage and headed down the hall to the eatery. What he found there at once surprised and worried him. Rhea was there, standing anxiously next to a man Cecil remembered seeing once before; a friend, as he recalled.

He approached, and through his face mask saw Rhea looking up at him with pleading eye. Her friend was nervously glancing about and pacing in place. They made brief introductions, and Rhea went on to explain, "We need your help, Cecil. Something terrible is happening now—" Before she could finish, a rumbling shockwave rocked the inn.

* * *

><p>They ran through the forest while attempting—but failing—to stay as hidden and stealthy as possible in their haste. The darkness certainly helped them remain unseen, but their footing was less than sure.<p>

Crono was in the lead, followed closely by Terra. He was practically dragging her along, holding her tightly by the hand and guiding her out of the town limits and – he hoped – to safety. Deducing that the troops had most likely come from the western direction, Crono was taking them in a northeasterly one.

They stopped for a few seconds to rest a little and so Crono could get his bearings. "As far as I can tell," Terra stated between breaths, "we're still going northeast." Crono, who just nodded, had already figured that, knowing that the larger of the moons, Olea, was close to the course they needed to take.

Suddenly, an explosion could be heard in the distance, and they felt the tremors, as far off as they were. Crono quickly surveyed their surroundings to ensure that the attack hadn't been aimed at them. Besides the scurrying of nighttime creatures, there was no movement from their likely pursuers. A bright flare made them turn back toward the direction they had come from.

"Crono, what was…?" Terra stopped midsentence as she realized what was happening. Fire lit up the night sky, and there was no doubt that what was becoming consumed by the flames was Truce. Crono's heart sank. He knew his mother was back in the village, but he also knew he had to get Terra to safety. He was torn between the two decisions. Terra, recognizing his anguish, remained silent, also feeling some despair for the situation. They would be far outmatched if they turned back, and she would not be able to escape by herself, she knew.

Before she could tell Crono to go back, a beam of light shone on the two of them. "Hey, you two!" an anonymous voice shouted. They froze. "What are you—" the man's voice cut off as he recognized one of them. He had heard her description at least a dozen times, and had seen more than enough drawings of her to know who she was. Crono took out his Lode sword in a flash as the imperial soldier hastily removed something from his breast plate.

Crono rushed toward the soldier, still half blinded by the shaking light that was still shining on them. The enemy fumbled with the whistle for only a few seconds, and blew it promptly. Crono got a few awkward steps closer to the man in the process of trying to stop it. The sound was deafeningly loud in the still night air. Crono stopped short; he knew it was too late. He had hoped to quietly dispatch the soldier. He knew his hesitation at the sight of the fires had cost them precious moments.

Terra gave a short gasp as more whistles and shouting could be heard all around them. As Crono looked to make sure Terra was all right, he did not see his enemies charge.

"Crono!" Terra shouted, pointing. He spun back around, just in time to see two large canines leaping towards him. Thankfully, Crono had lightning-fast reflexes, and was able to leap back in order to dodge their razor-sharp teeth. As he landed near Terra, he grabbed her wrist and pulled hard to get her to start running. As they ran, trying to recover their night vision from the soldier's light, the dogs pursued, as well as the soldier, shouting and whistling as he did. Terra looked behind her at the dogs; they were very close, now. She slowed for a fraction of a second, extended her hands towards the beasts and shouted, "Blizzard!" The spell hit a dog full-force, the closer one, and it froze instantly and exploded into thousands of shards. The other dog was hardly fazed.

The beast leapt toward Terra. Crono, hearing her shout, acted instinctively and pulled her out of the way with one hand, and brought his sword down on the dog – or at least the outline in the dark he assumed was the dog. A loud yelp told him more that he had hit home than any resistance felt in the sharp blade.

Again, the time wasted was too much. A gigantic beam of red energy exploded right next to Crono, knocking him back a few meters. He rolled when he impacted the ground, feeling his body starting to ache. He found his footing as quickly as possible, ignoring the pain and searching frantically for Terra. He stood blinking away the bright flash as his eyes readjusted to the darkness of the forest once again.

Fortunately for Terra, she had been farther from the scorching beam and had only been knocked backwards a short distance. She was struggling to get back up, though, as her stamina was steadily draining. Their rapid, non-stop flight combined with her lack of concentration while using magic was taking its toll on her untrained body. She swayed slightly on her feet, breathing heavily and using a nearby tree for support.

Seeing that Terra was relatively safe, Crono desperately looked around for the source of the attack. He heard, more than saw, a huge mechanical beast crashing its way through the forest towards them. It emerged from a large copse of sagebrush and Crono stared in disbelief. The machine was bipedal and stood nearly twice as tall as Crono. Two large limbs with deadly claws, protruded from its brown and gray body. He was able to make out the helmeted soldier standing what seemed like inside the suit.

The thing turned toward him and a glow began to emanate from the contraption's chest. It was a deep red, and Crono somehow knew it was charging up to release another blast of that strange red energy. He raised his sword and swung downward as hard as he could. By pumping in some of his spirit energy, the slash shot forward, out of the blade, and along the ground. Trees, bushes, and the forest floor were ripped apart as the energy-enhanced slash shot toward the automated monster.

In his rush to counterattack, Crono's spell was poorly aimed, but still managed to take off a good part of the machine's side. Still, it finished its powering up and the energy burst forward. Crono – prepared as he was – was unable to completely avoid the close-proximity burst. His world tumbled around as he was painfully thrown backwards again; he crumpled at the base of a large tree. He thought he tasted iron as warmth flowed down his face. Burns that seemed to be getting farther away now singed his side. Clashes of swords indicated that Terra had encountered their original aggressor. Numbly, Crono realized he still held his own katana in his right hand.

Unsteadily, slowly, he struggled to his feet. He could now see two spots of ground that were entirely singed down to the soil and still smoldering. Terra was battling near one of them but still managing against the foot soldier. The machina…in his daze he had almost forgotten about that damned device.

Fortunately for Crono, he had considerably slowed it down – and given the officer reason for caution. It approached with difficulty, but still moved toward his general direction. He could see black ooze that seeped from its side and reflected off the moons' light. Crono concentrated some of his last reserves of energy into his arms and legs. He leapt towards the glowing suit and cycloned his body and sword in midair in order to increase the speed and strength of his attack.

The trooper, helpless to either defend himself or dodge such a fast advance, opened his mouth in terror. Crono sliced through and around it several times and rebounded off of the short-circuiting tank itself and toward Terra. As he rolled to a stop, the contraption exploded behind him. Terra's opponent was caught off guard, as he was surprised it could be taken down, and was consequently struck down by the desperate Terra. Crono lay gasping for air, exhausted. Terra helped him to his feet and gave him support. He looked her over again.

"I'm all right," she responded to the question written all over his face. She was caked in dirt and foliage was in her blonde, ruffled hair, but she looked unhurt. "But you look awful, Crono." He tried giving her one of his famous smiles, wincing slightly as the gash on his head stung. "You need-"

She was interrupted by a sound she did not expect: clapping. It was accompanied by an eerie, inhuman laugh. Artificial lights went on all around them, brightening the small clearing caused by their battling. Looking toward the source of the clapping, they saw a misshapen silhouette in front of one of the spotlights. As the figure headed for them, they realized it was some badly-dressed clown. If not for the present situation, Crono might have laughed at the man. He even wore a funny hat and upward-tipped shoes.

"Well done," came the sinister, half-cackling voice. "Quite the show you gave us." He cackled again. Crono dropped his mangled, blood-stained pack on the ground and gripped his katana with both hands. "But now, though, our little game of hide and seek is coming to an end, Dearie." As if on cue, half a dozen mechanical soldiers' breastplates began to glow different colors.

* * *

><p>Another blast shook the building, this one perceptively closer. The three standing at the tavern's door were forced to use furniture to keep steady so as not to be jolted off their feet.<p>

"What was that?" Cecil asked no one in particular.

Rhea thought she knew by the time the second explosion erupted just now. "It-it's the empire, Cecil," she explained. The sweat coming down Taban's face belied his nervousness.

"The empire?" Cecil wondered aloud. "But this is the Kingdom of Baron. They would not dare attack foreign soil. It's against the treaty." Cecil thought for a moment then added before Rhea answered, "I assume that's why you've come. Where are Crono and Terra?" Cecil's mind was working rapidly; calculating, speculating, and trying to piece things together.

"Terra…she is-" there was a pounding on the inn's door followed by a muffled shout. Rhea looked and saw that the innkeeper had already fled, most likely after the first eruption.

The pounding occurred again and the commanding voice now made its way through the solid oak door. "-name of the Emperor, open this door!" it said. Rhea glanced at Cecil. He hesitated, deciding what to do. _'Can I fight my way through the forces of the empire? Should we surrender for now? Should I battle and possibly get Rhea or the townspeople injured?' _He knew Shadow was not very particular about its targets. The soldier grew impatient and the door's knob turned forcefully. Taban gripped his only weapon: a large hammer on his tool belt he always carried with him.

Cecil made his decision and his hand went to his blade. "Taban, give ground and see to it that everyone is cleared from the tavern," he ordered.

The door swung rapidly inward as not one, but three soldiers burst into the inn. Two had on black metallic armor, and the third – clearly the leader of the trio – had on greenish armor. They froze at the sight of a fully-armored Dark Knight standing in opposition to them. The leader soon recovered and ordered Cecil not to interfere, though not as confidently as he would have liked.

"Very well," Cecil replied. "What is it that the empire is doing out here in the countryside, good sir knight?" he asked in return, trying to avert their attention from the others.

"I told you to stand down!" the lieutenant declared. As he cast his eyes around the room, he recognized the one of the other two occupants. He pointed violently at Rhea, "You there! You're that boy's mother!" he exclaimed. Silence fell over the inn, the distant sounds of battle outside coming in through the windows and open door; the town's stationed guards and militia must be giving some resistance. The lieutenant hesitated for a moment, unsure of the shadowy knight's intentions.

He made his decision, and the soft sound of metal sliding out of its oiled scabbard was quite audible in the tavern. "You are hereby under the empire's control. Come with us peaceably, woman." He spoke to Rhea, but hardly took his eyes off of the knight. The two with him followed his lead. He noticed the man beside the woman clenching tightly to a hammer. Smaller than a war hammer, it was hardly a weapon worthy of note.

As luck would have it, the leader of the trio had been one of the survivors in the first ill-fated group. Upon discovering that Crono's home was deserted, he was sent with a couple of soldiers from the Special Forces unit to look around for the targets and then the machines had begun firing upon unhelpful or resistant residents.

Cecil, casually holding his crimson blade, could feel it thrum to life. It's dark power, evil and ferocious to those familiar with it, was aching for more victims. It happened in an instant, and Cecil couldn't really tell if it was his body or Shadow's willpower that brought him and the blade forward and through the leader's midsection in one fluid motion.

He brought his weapon to the ready as the other two soldiers advanced. They were faster than he expected, and the closer of the two parried his trike as the second one darted to his side. He now understood that these two swordsmen were no ordinary soldiers. Cecil jumped back in time to avoid being nicked by the oncoming steel, and out of the way of the oncoming dogs' teeth. They must have been hiding in the shadows behind the two soldiers. Cecil mentally kicked himself for not noticing them before. They were well trained.

Cecil realized gratefully that Rhea and Taban had a good distance away from the foray. The soldiers also noticed this, and as one pointed toward Cecil, the other sent his dog after the other two. He dispatched the beast easily enough, but the other was too fast and sped past him towards Taban, and he could hardly go after it with the soldiers already charging him again.

Taban held his ground, raised the hammer high above his head, and sent it crashing down into…nothing. The beast had dodged sideways and as he lost some of his balance and Rhea screamed as the canine gnashed its teeth around his leg. Twice. Fortunately for him, he was very strong from years and years of working on machines and in forges, and the second blow shattered the hound's skull, killing it instantly.

Cecil unhooked his shield from his back and the two remaining soldiers charged, one of them knocking over a table and chairs as they did so. He blocked one blade with his shield and skillfully parried the other simultaneously. Using some of his energy, he thrust both of his aggressors backwards. The added strength from his spirit surprised them, and as luck would have it one of the Special Forces agents stumbled over an upright chair. Cecil immediately went after the standing soldier who had quickly found his footing. Again, the soldier wasn't as easy a target as he looked, taking a few sings against Cecil's blade and shield. In the end, Shadow's superior make and enchantment broke the other's sword and found its mark, just in time for Cecil to dispatch the other soldier, effectively ending the skirmish.

Cecil, having barely broken a sweat, went to inspect Taban's injuries and see to it that Rhea was unharmed.

"Are you all right, Cecil?" Rhea inquired before Cecil could open his mouth.

"I am well enough off," he said. Shadow's bloodlust slowed down again, having had its appetite satiated for now. "How fairest thee, Taban? I apologize for my inability to have kept you both from harm."

Taban, favoring his good leg, limped over to chair and sat now that the fighting was over. "I'll be fine, lad," he said while wincing slightly from the pain. "Nothing a good potion won't take care of." As he finished, he rummaged in his pocket for a small vial of green liquid, which would help fight infection until he could retrieve a red healing one.

"Very well, but I believe we should begin moving now. I doubt that our little episode will go unnoticed by the enemy for long. He took out one of the healing potions he had purchased earlier that day and handed it to Taban. "Have you any proficiency with a blade?"

"Me?" Taban asked rhetorically. "No. Not really, sir knight. But Crono's father was…" he trailed off. He drank a little of the bad-tasting red stuff, feeling invigorated, and tried to return it to its owner.

"Keep it; you may yet need it later tonight." Cecil sighed inwardly. "At least you can wield that hammer," he noted aloud. "Rhea, towards what direction has Crono and Terra gone?"

"I'm not entirely sure," she admitted. "But I think they would have traveled northeast or so and into the denser parts of the forest."

"Good. Rhea, stay here with Taban in the tavern. Find a place for cover – the cellar perhaps – and await further orders from them. If I do not return, then look for an opportunity to steal away." There were a two or three more thunderings off in the distance, making it hard to tell how many there actually were and in what direction they arose from.

"I sense that the situation is becoming urgent for those two. I go now," he informed them.

"Please hurry," she pleaded, "and be careful!"

"I shall," he assured her. He quickly ran out into the darkened streets.

There was an advantage to being a Dark Knight during the evening time, and Cecil intended to put this to its full advantage. However, he soon discovered that his theory of the previous foray being noticed was correct: already, a contingent of soldiers was marching towards him. Truly, the empire had sent a vast supply of troops, much more than really be necessary for this small village. Houses all around the town were being consumed by raging fires, and Cecil noticed that only one of the twenty or so soldiers heading for him had a torch. The great fires could not have been started by a simple torch.

The squad saw in the firelight and partial light of electricity that Cecil had a weapon and was fully armored. They immediately called him to desist and surrender. Cecil of course did not comply, and as his adrenaline increased, so too did Shadow's beating increase. His first instinct was to fight, but instead, he decided to lure the troops from the building. Whistles blew and people shouted as Cecil turned and ran down the gravel and dirt street.

As he went, he saw more soldiers inspecting various houses or searching the town for signs of resistance. Truce was practically overwhelmed by the imperial forces. Those who realized what was happening joined into the pursuit. The number of soldier was steadily increasing, all coming after this one figure. '_Well, at least I'm drawing them away from the town,_' Cecil thought to himself. The pursuing force had nearly doubled, and he knew that he would not be able to clash against this many highly trained soldiers.

He tried to lose the large mass by darting in between buildings, darting this way and that, but all the while trying to make his way towards the direction his comrades would have purportedly followed. Soldiers and beasts alike were cut down as he went, or at least those who unfortunately tried to bar his path. As Cecil made his way more or less out of the city, having lost most of the group with his antics, he wasted no time in heading deeper into the forest and to the northeast. A couple of shots rang out into the night, ricocheting off trees as he went. Apparently, the enemy had brought some snipers, or soldiers trained to use gun powdered mechanisms.

Lights unexpectedly flashed on some distance to the south of him. Thinking it might be his friends, he began to shift towards that direction, the smaller group of persistent fighters still going after their prey. He suddenly changed direction again, this time going straight into the soldiers and his sword swinging against them. One by one, they fell, having been separated by their different running speeds, the thickening forest, and no one keeping them organized. More than a little sweat was beginning to dampen his body.

He took off in the direction of the lit area again but saw something that stopped him in his tracks. What appeared to be two large suits of armor, impossibly large for a human being, were crashing towards him, knocking down small trees and saplings. The machines held humans inside of them, and he was ordered for the third time tonight to drop his weapon.

Cecil hadn't wanted to use Dark Wave without a night's rest or at least replenishing ether, but realized he had no choice now. Curiously, one of the armors in front of him began to glow. Paying no heed, he fired a volley of deadly, ghastly blades at the glowing machina. It short circuited from the attack and the occupant, full of ethereal daggers, was dead on impact.

Cecil, nearly depleted of his magic and stamina, swayed where he stood. The other machine began to glow, but what caught his attention was the crashing of the forest behind him. He spun around, but before he could even react, a metallic arm slammed into Cecil's front, knocking him back a few meters from where he stood. He skillfully maintained his balance and nearly skidded to a halt. In the half-darkness, he could barely make out a large machine with a missing arm that was being reeled in by a chain. His chest was on fire, and he worried if he hadn't a broken rib or two.

He felt, more than saw, the first machine now behind him drawing in energy to its core. He saw the chest plate of the machine glowing a brighter amber than previously. Suddenly, a beam of magical lightning projected itself towards Cecil. All he could do was bring up his shield and sword arm in his defense before he was hit full-force with the attack. He was blown backwards from the force and his body went numb. All he could do was incline his head, and he was mildly surprised to see lightning crackle across his armor. Before he could make sense of anything that was happening the world around him faded.

* * *

><p>"Still want to play, do you?" Kefka goaded. He laughed the same maniacal laugh again. He unexpectedly became serious in his expression. "I'm going to enjoy destroying you like a fly, boy," he threatened.<p>

Crono wasted no time, launching himself towards the jester with his sword ready to strike. A haphazard charge erupted harmlessly in his wake from one of the tanks, actually hitting and killing a few foot soldiers. Unfortunately, Kefka was faster than he looked and did a twirling dance-like maneuver and spun out of the way of Crono's attack. His blade went instead through the middle of the robotic armor whereon Kefka was standing.

As he followed through his Cyclone, he did a back flip to avoid the shrapnel from the exploding electrical suit of armor. As he half-landed, half-tumbled to a stop some distance from Terra, he heard more of that irritating laugh behind another machine.

"Hahaha, you're skills aren't half-bad to be able to destroy a Magitek Armor in one blow," Kefka admitted. "This could be FUN, hehe!" He raised a hand and simply pointed at Crono, and two of the Magitek soldiers started towards him.

Too exhausted to run or dodge, Crono once again went on the offensive route and poured the last bits of energy he had left into his raised sword. He slashed diagonally at the air, which caused a ripple of energy to shoot towards the closer of the two. His aim was true, and the unsuspecting battle tank was cloven in two. He fell to his knee and awaited the inevitable explosion. However, the other tank next to it showered its malfunctioning companion in an eerie green light. It brought the two parts of the tank – and person inside – together, restoring it completely.

Crono was too shocked to react. Regrettably, the healed tank emitted a yellow glow of its own, and Crono knew what was coming. Finding some energy left in his nearly-depleted reservoir, he side-stepped the straight beam of energy. To his surprise, a successive, larger ray was projected from the very same armor!

As the attack shot toward him, he reflexively put up his arms in a last-ditch effort to soften the deadly blow. Terra cried out as the beam hit where he was standing, remained on the spot for a few seconds, and continued past. Crono would not have been able to survive that massive energy blast.

She had had enough. Before the attack had finished and while everyone was distracted, she desperately and furiously started launching spells at the surrounding army. Several Blizzard spells hit tanks and people, freezing man and machine alike. The spells had little effect on the magically-infused machina, though, but she was satisfied that some soldiers had been taken out of the fray. A couple more went with an added Fire spell. The soldiers in turn hesitated to attack her, knowing she was their whole reason for being here. However, they still promptly subdued her.

Kefka's outcry of surprise startled everyone, including Terra. The screeching abruptly stopped the fighting. "What!?" he shouted. Terra looked at Kefka, whose back was to her. He was facing the direction Crono had been…

"Aww, why aren't you dust right now?!" he loudly whined. "How are you still standing?"

Terra couldn't see anything until a soldier moved; and there was Crono, arms still up to protect his face, not anymore harm to him than before. On the contrary, those closest to him could see that minor cuts and bruises seemed to have disappeared. What added more to her surprise was that electricity was erratically moving across his body. As everyone watched, the energy dissipated, Crono dropped his guard, and his surprise was as evident as the rest of them.

"Grrr," Kefka growled. "Fire! Fire! Toast him, you useless buckets of bolts!" he shouted at the soldiers. Upon recovering, machines and soldiers alike prepared to fire upon the lone warrior. Kefka's own hands emitted a deep red with magic. Men and machines fired their weapons and Crono, rejuvenated, skillfully dodged and counterattacked with his own thrusts and sword techs. However, their number were simply too great for the one warrior, and one of the beams, a blue ice one, hit half of his body.

The right side of him froze instantly, immobilizing him. He staggered. Kefka laughed hysterically at his predicament, gloating over his victory. Crono smashed his iced left hand into his leg. It cracked the ice, but didn't completely break. He hit it a couple more times. There was a loud crack as Crono's frozen katana split in two. This only gained him another annoying cackle from his enemy.

"Don't bother," he jeered. "No point in trying so hard when you're going to be defeated! Let's see some more of that fantastic power!" he said, directing the tanks around him. He gave Terra his full attention now. "And get her! Detain her! She can be healed later!" The soldiers around Terra closed in on her once again as the armors fired a barrage at Crono.

"Crono!" she shouted before he was blown away and out of sight. "Stay away!" she ordered the soldiers. Kefka's chuckle could be heard again, driving even the soldiers slightly mad. She fired a spell or two, hitting and killing a few soldiers, and drew her sword to parry another from behind her. An unseen attacker grabbed her backpack.

There were too many for her to handle; dozens of them. She managed to wound one or two more soldiers – she couldn't tell how many were surrounding her now – before she was overtaken, struck down by the soldiers' swords and fists. Just before she lost consciousness, she heard Kefka's voice once more.

"Sleep now, my dear, and become the destructive monster you once were. Ahahahaha!" His haunting smile was the last thing she remembered seeing before her world went black.


End file.
